Other Regions in Africa

Northern Africa Weather Overview

The region of North Africa comprises of Western Sahara and
the countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia,
Libya, Egypt and the Sudan. North Africa is
predominantly desert with narrow bands of semi-arid and milder, Mediterranean
climates near the Mediterranean coast, north of the Atlas Mountains which
stretch from Morocco to Tunisia. As it
is relatively mild and fertile this coastal strip of northern Africa
is the most heavily populated area in north Africa and the most visited by
tourists. Away from the moderating effects of the sea, even within the fertile strip,
temperatures become increasingly extreme further inland. Morocco has a Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts;
Algeria, Tunisia, Libya
and Egypt all have
Mediterranean coast lines; Western Sahara meets the Atlantic
Ocean. Sudan
lies south of Egypt and so
its portion of the Sahara lies in its northern
half. Southern Sudan receives a much wetter,
tropical climate.

The Mediterranean region of North
Africa receives hot, dry summers, often with droughts and fires. Rainfall
is minimal and if it does fall in the summer it usually takes the form of a
short thunderstorm. Temperature varies greatly depending on proximity to the
coast. Seaside
areas can expect temperatures around 10°C cooler than interior regions in the
summer, and a couple of degrees warmer in the winter. Interior regions also see
the drop in temperature from day to night is dramatically increased. The Atlantic is a much cooler body of water
and places on the Atlantic coast are usually cooler than those on the Mediterranean. The Atlantic and the Mediterranean
both provide cooling breezes in the summer heat. Light rainfall can be expected
from April to Jun, and in September and October, with the true rainy season
falling from November to March. Rainfall is higher further west and near the
coast. The Sirocco wind can occur at any time of year but is most common in
April and May. The warm, dry summers are seen as the best time to visit, though
inland areas can be horrifically hot.

The resort of Agadir on the southwest coast of Morocco sees
summertime average highs in the mid 20s, while in Marrakech, which is further
inland, sees average highs in the mid 30s. Morocco
sees plentiful rain in the mild winter months, apart from in the far south
where the Sahara creeps in.

Algiers, the capital of Algeria, sees
summer highs nearing 30°C with nights in the low 20s. The lowest average high
is 15°C, seen in January and February. Rain levels are very high during the wet
season and it is often overcast.

Tunisia
is the smallest and northern-most country in North Africa, and only its
southern tip reaches into the Sahara. Monastir
sees average highs in the low thirties during the peak months of summer, as do
the rest of Tunisiaâs
coastal resorts. Winter is usually slightly drier in comparison to other
Mediterranean resorts.

Libya
receives very low rainfall year round even during the wet season at higher
altitudes. Some areas of the Libyan Sahara go for decades without rain.

Egypt is similar, with Cairo seeing an average of twenty-nine
millimetres of rain per year.

Sudan
sees almost no rain from January to March. In April moist south-westerly winds
blow in thunderstorms and heavy rainfall. In September the dry, north-eastern
winds return and the wet weather begins to recede; the country is entirely dry
by December. As the rain comes in from the southwest and the dry weather
approaches from the northeast, the rainy season differs in length from location
to location; South-westerly areas receive much longer rainy seasons. Yambio, in
the southwest, has a nine month rainy season from April till December, in
comparison with Khartoum
which has a three month rainy season from July to September. As is to be
expected, areas with longer rainy seasons receive much higher levels of yearly
precipitation, and areas with shorter rainy seasons see more extreme
temperatures. The south central plains are quite arid, as they border the
desert, and see extreme temperatures, while southern Sudan has a tropical climate,
characterised by its high rainfall and excessive humidity.

The only significant waterway in North Africa is the Nile
and so fertile regions hug the coast line, the Nile delta and the Atlas Mountains. The mountains encourage much higher
levels of precipitation; rain and meltwater trickle down and the surrounding
lower regions are thriving farmland. The Atlas Mountains are relatively close
to the coast and south of them is the Sahara.
There are a few small desert oases but the majority of the 8.2 million square
kilometre sand pit is barren. The minimal rainfall that the desert does receive
falls mainly in the south. Frequent storms are dry sandstorms; furious winds
whip tons of sand across the continent and give rise to the hot, sand bearing
Sirocco wind that torments coastal regions and Mediterranean
resorts across the sea. When the rain falls it does so in heavy torrents
causing flash flooding. The Sahara sees
daytime high temperatures up to 55°C and night time lows below freezing. The
lack of cloud cover, vegetation and humidity means the desert has minimal
insulation and is therefore susceptible to these extremes of temperature,
solely reliant on the presence or absence of the strong, equatorial sun.

The Atlas Mountains are to
be thanked for their provision of water to lower elevations on their north
side. But they are also to be blamed for the Sahara.
Their immense height blocks humid air blowing in from the Atlantic and Mediterranean. The trapping of this moist air forces
precipitation to form and fall on the northern face, while preventing it from
travelling over to the south side of the mountains. This creates what is called
a rain shadow. The rain deprived land lying in that shadow is, in this case, a
true desert.